The invention relates to a passenger cabin and especially an aircraft passenger cabin with an arrangement of passenger seats, which are each adjustable from a seating position with a substantially upright backrest to a lying or reclining position with a lowered backrest, and which overlap one another in the forward and aft direction at least along the outer fuselage walls of the passenger cabin.
German Patent Laying-Open Document 195 44 754, and especially FIGS. 3, 4 and 22 thereof, show seat layouts of an area in an aircraft passenger cabin. The possible arrangement of passenger seats according to FIG. 22 of this reference provides seat units which are oriented in the aircraft longitudinal direction or slightly rotated relative to the aircraft longitudinal direction. Particularly, the rotational orientation is adapted to the curve or angling of the outer fuselage wall of the aircraft cabin. In such an embodiment, a sufficient seat pitch spacing between successive seats is necessary, not only to allow a passenger to sit comfortably in the seat in its upright position, but also to allow the passenger to recline or lie on the seat in its reclining position. A sufficient amount of space must also be provided to allow for adjusting the seat unit from the sitting position to the lying or reclining position.
Moreover, in the area in the cabin transitioning to the normal maximum cabin width, this reference shows a double or twin seat arrangement with two passenger seats arranged next to one another. In such a seating arrangement, the passenger seated in the window seat will have a considerable problem of limited and difficult access, when the aisle seat (i.e. the seat positioned toward the aisle) is adjusted to the sleeping or reclining position. Particularly, the window seat passenger cannot leave his seat without disturbing the aisle seat passenger. This reduces the comfort and contentment of the passengers especially during long distance flights. The aisle seat passenger must constantly fear being disturbed by the window seat passenger and can therefore not rest in a relaxed and undisturbed manner, while the window seat passenger is uncomfortable or anxious, because he does not wish to disturb the aisle seat passenger each time he wants to leave his seat and step into the aisle.
FIGS. 3 and 4 of this reference (DE OS 195 44 754) disclose alternative arrangements which aim to avoid such a double or twin seating arrangement, without requiring such a large seat spacing distance as would be necessary to enable a reclined position of the seats arranged one behind the other. In this context, FIG. 3 of the reference shows an arrangement of the seats being angled to face somewhat outwardly relative to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft. On the other hand, FIG. 4 of the reference shows an arrangement of seats angled to face somewhat inwardly relative to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft. Thus, FIGS. 3 and 4 of the reference disclose an overlapping configuration in which the seat spacing can correspond to the typical spacing for first-class seats in connection with the use of conventionally known double or twin seat arrangements. Thereby, a free accessibility to access each passenger seat is ensured. However, due to the arrangement of a primary seat and a secondary seat together in a seating unit, this requires and defines a fixed arrangement of this overlapping configuration, with fixed dimensions adapted to the lying or reclining position of the seats. The space required for such an arrangement is suitable for a first-class passenger in a first-class cabin, but can also be realized in the other class cabins in which a less generous amount of space is allocated to each passenger seat.
In view of the above, it is an object of the invention to achieve an optimal utilization of the available cabin space especially in a passenger cabin with a limited space availability, while providing an adequate space for the free movement of each passenger in combination with a private area for each passenger, so as to achieve a high degree of comfort and contentment for the passengers, especially during long distance flights. The invention further aims to avoid or overcome the disadvantages of the prior art, and to achieve additional advantages, as apparent from the present specification.
The above objects have been achieved according to the invention in an arrangement of passenger seats in a passenger cabin, and especially an aircraft passenger cabin. Each passenger seat is adjustable between a seating position with a substantially up-right backrest, and at least one lying or reclining position with a lowered or reclined backrest. The seats are arranged in an overlapping configuration with respect to the forward and aft longitudinal direction, especially along the outer fuselage wall of the passenger cabin. Particularly according to the invention, the passenger seats along the outer wall of the passenger cabin are embodied as single or individual seats which are rotatable or pivotable, especially about a substantially vertical axis, between a substantially forward-facing rotational orientation and an inwardly-turned rotational orientation in which the passenger seat is rotated partly inwardly toward the central longitudinal axis of the passenger cabin. These seats are to be adjusted to the substantially forward-facing rotational orientation during the take-off and landing phases of a flight, while they may be adjusted to the inwardly-turned rotational orientation during the cruise flight phase.
It is especially advantageous according to the invention, that the inventive seat arrangement can provide both a sitting position and a lying or reclining position for the passengers, and can thereby increase the comfort and contentment of the passengers, even with a relatively smaller seat pitch spacing between successive seat rows, and a smaller amount of space allocated to each passenger or to each seat in comparison to the first-class cabin.
According to particular preferred embodiments of the invention, for example, in the inwardly-turned rotational orientation, the seats will be facing somewhat forwardly and pivoted inwardly toward the cabin mid-line at an angle of approximately 50 to 60xc2x0 relative to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft. On the other hand, in the substantially forward-facing rotational orientation, the seats will be oriented facing in an angular range from 0 to about 18xc2x0 inwardly toward the middle of the cabin, relative to the longitudinal axis of the cabin. Further according to the invention, separating walls, partitions, or screens are preferably arranged respectively between each seat and the neighboring seat in a direction generally toward the outer wall of the passenger cabin, and between each respective seat and the adjoining or neighboring seat in a direction generally toward the middle or the aisle of the passenger cabin.